The Pains Of Maturity
by untouchablerave
Summary: Everyone is just trying to find their place in the world and sometimes it is just too difficult.


"LOOK. I. AM. GAY!" Jez cried out at the front door, flailing his arms about, "I don't understand why you don't get that! I LIKE MEN!"

The rest of the gang were sitting around the lounge on a dark and wet Friday night. Jez was trying to get rid of a girl who had seen him in a school show and since then had been besotted with him. BB trundled down the stairs from his shower, towel wrapped around his waist.

"Is he still trying to brush off that girl?" BB asked, thumbing in Jez's direction.

"Looks like it," Claudine leant forward and picked up the newest edition of Look magazine.

"I. WANT. TO. FUCK. MEN. Now piss off!" Jez bellowed and slammed the door after him, the group burst into fits of laughter.

"Ooh!" the girls giggled as Jez sat heavily down on the sofa.

"I feel a bit sorry for her really," Lauren said, sympathising for her.

"I don't! 'Cos that's bordering on stalking!" Jez jabbed his finger towards the door.

"Are you actually gay man?" BB asked, getting a mug out of the cupboard, "Or is this an act to get her off your back?" he smiled cheekily.

"I AM GAY!" Jez screamed, enough to wake the neighbours from their sleep, "Well, bi… ish," he calmed down, hands on his hips.

"Ish?" Danny asked.

"Yeah… ish," Jez nodded.

"Why ish?"

"I have been known to appreciate the female form," Jez smiled knowingly, relaxing in his seat.

"Oooh!" the girls laughed again and Jez went a bit red.

"Seriously man?" BB laughed, pouring some orange juice into his mug.

"Yes, seriously," Jez mocked him.

"Did you loose your virginity with a man or a woman?" Lola asked, sitting on the piano chair, picking at her nails.

"WHAT!" BB exclaimed, stopping in his tracks.

"I'm interested!" Lola cried, dead seriousness in her voice.

"Can we not talk about this please?" Jez grinned, embarrassed.

"No, let's talk about it!" Danny chuckled.

"Come on babe, spill," Claudine urged, all of them crowding around Jez.

"Alright, alright," Jez held up his hands, "Ok, I lost my virginity in a lift…"

The others were left feeling anticlimactic.

"I was 15… with a bloke," he finished and the uproar could have caused an earthquake, "But – But," he shouted over the excited group, "The second time I had sex was on my pool table… with a woman,"

"NO WAY!" BB laughed, clicking his finger against his others.

"And then in the shower and then in the Jacuzzi," Jez finished.

"Man it's the money!" BB cried, giving Jez 'respect', "It's the damn money!"

"No, I'm just really hot," Jez laughed.

"Yeah, shame you're gay!" Lauren giggled.

"Bi," Jez corrected her.

"Ish," Lola giggled and everyone turned to look at her, "What?" she asked.

"Anyway," Danny broke the silence.

"It's ok babe, if I thought about turning to my straight side, you'd be top of my list," he winked at her and Lola giggled, feeling special, "But come on, let's not talk about my sexuality yeah, it's no big deal,"

"Mate, it is a big deal," BB drained his mug, "Our Jez, getting some pussy!"

"Go on then, when and where did you loose it?" Jez asked, turning the tables.

"I lost it in my back garden," BB spat with no hesitation, "I was sitting under the stars with a girl on my arm, then it just happened,"

"And you were how old?" Lauren asked. BB looked around nervously, as though he didn't really want to say.

"13," he said, almost shamefully. The girls screeched with laughter and the boys made small gestures with their fingers.

"Yeah alright, alright then boys," BB laughed it off, "Danny what about you man?"

"Oh me?" Danny gestured towards himself, as though surprised, "I lost in high school, when I was 16. I'd been going out with this girl for a while, a couple of months. We were home alone and I offered,"

"Aww," Lauren smiled while the others stayed silent. She looked around nervously and resumed flicking through her magazine.

"What about you Lauren?" Danny asked, smiling at her but he was reminded of Claudine when she began clinging to his arm.

"I… well… actually I'm a virgin," she stammered, picking at her nails nervously. The group was silent.

"Good for you," Danny smiled encouragingly at her and smiled back, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Claudine smirking.

"Yeah alright Claudine, we get it, you've probably laid loads of guys, why don't you list them all for us?" Lauren spat, bitterly.

"Well," she tucked her hair behind her ears, "There was Matthew, Mark –,"

"Luke and John," Jez cocked his head, wittily

"Ha-ha," Claudine mocked him, "Matthew, Mark, Adam, Ben, Oliver, Chris –,"

"Are you sure you aren't making this up, Claudine?" BB asked

"No, BB, I'm not," she scowled

"Moving on," BB intervened awkwardly, upon seeing Danny's shocked face.

"Lola have you lost your virginity?" Jez asked outright

"No," She smiled, "I'm waiting for the perfect guy, it's going to be –,"

"Perfect?" Claudine smiled cattishly, "It's not perfect, it's messy and painful –,"

"And you'd know?" Lauren asked

"Shut it Virgin Mary, at least I can get some!" Claudine cried

"Stop it, both of you," Danny threw his hands up in the air, "I'm going to bed," and he got up out of his chair and stormed upstairs.

"Danny!" Claudine called after him, she turned towards Lauren, "Thanks a lot freakoid," and totted upstairs in her heels after her boyfriend.

"Well that was mature," BB sighed

"You know what I think I'm going to call it a night too guys," Lauren put down her mug and got up

"Are you sure you're going to be alright babe?" Jez asked, scratching his head

"Yeah I'll be fine," she smiled weakly.

"I'll come with you babe," Lola got up too and the pair of them also left the lounge.

"Why's everyone going to bed?" BB asked, "It's only like 10 o'clock,"

"Stefan did push us pretty hard today," Jez admitted, scratching the back of his head nonchalantly, "I think I might call it a night,"

"What?" BB exclaimed, "It's only like 10 o'clock!"

"I know, I know and I get that it's Friday and we should be going out and getting pissed or whatever. Or that I should be getting with some hot guy and you some fit girl,"

"Damn straight," BB laughed.

"Night man," Jez hugged BB, "I'm gonna go say night to everyone else,"

"K man, see you tomorrow,"

Jez went up the stairs and turned left along the landing. He went to turn to knock on Danny's room but he heard voices and decided not to. The door to Claudine's room was open and she wasn't in there so Jez proceeded to Lauren's room. He knocked sharply.

"Come in," Lauren sounded.

"Just leaving babe, night," Jez poked his head around the door and smiled.

"Night Jez," she sniffled, red eyed and Jez thought it be best to leave her alone.

He pottered along to Lola's room and opened the door to the pink cave. Lola was sitting at her dressing table taking off her make up.

"Hi Jez," she smiled at him in the mirror.

"Hi babe," he sat down on her bed and looked around at the pinkness that was almost blinding him, "Are you okay? After tonight and everything?"

"Yeah, It's just it's hard for Lauren with Danny and Claudine and stuff," she sighed

"Yeah," Jez agreed, "It's been a hard night,"

"And with you and that girl that's been stalking you," Lola giggled, sitting opposite Jez on the bed, "Can I try something?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jez nodded. Lola leant forward and pressed her lips gently against Jez's running her hand along his chest, entangling her fingers in his hair. They broke apart and looked at each other for a moment.

"What was that for?" Jez asked.

"Did you feel anything?" Lola asked.

"Of course I did," Jez smiled and kissed her cheek, "Of course I did, babe,"

"But you're gay?"

"Bi… sexual," Jez corrected her through kisses.

"Ish," Lola finished, giving her signature chuckle.

The pair of them flopped onto the bed. Jez pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall on the floor. When they both woke up the next morning, curled around each other, skin mixing like chocolate, they both agreed it was perfect.


End file.
